Polyol compounds are extensively used in applications such as starting materials for resins, e.g., polyurethanes and polyesters, surfactants, and lubricants.
In recent years, polyurethane foam is in use as heat insulators and cushioning materials in a wide variety of fields including building materials, electrical appliances, furniture, and motor vehicles because the foam has satisfactory heat-insulating properties and cushioning properties. Although the polyurethane foam has hitherto been produced through blowing with a chlorofluorocarbon gas, shifting from chlorofluorocarbon-based blowing agents to chlorofluorocarbon-free blowing materials, e.g., carbon dioxide, is proceeding due to the recent environmental problems. Polyurethane foam produced through blowing with carbon dioxide has been proposed, for which the carbon dioxide generated by subjecting water to reaction with an isocyanate is used as a blowing agent as one of such chlorofluorocarbon-free blowing materials (see, for example, patent document 1).
Polyurethanes, which are formed from organic compounds, further have a problem that they are flammable. It is hence required to impart high flame retardancy thereto, and use of many flame retardants has been proposed (see, for example, non-patent document 1).
In the case where polyurethanes are used as raw materials in fields such as urethane coating materials and inks, the polyurethanes are required to have improved coating property to polyolefins. A technique in which a chlorinated polypropylene is used as a binder has been proposed (see, for example, patent document 2). However, the chlorinated polypropylene used in that technique, although soluble in aromatic solvents, are insoluble in other solvents and have been used only in applications where use of aromatic solvents is permitted. As a technique for overcoming this problem, use of a chlorinated polypropylene glycol has been proposed (see, for example, patent document 3).
However, the technique proposed in patent document 1 has a problem that since carbon dioxide has a smaller molecular size than chlorofluorocarbons, the carbon dioxide is apt to come out of the polyurethane foam and the heat-insulating performance and dimensional accuracy of the foam decrease with the lapse of time. Especially in slab products cut out of the polyurethane foam (block) produced through blowing with carbon dioxide, which is easy to handle, the carbon dioxide present within the foam is apt to come out because of the absence of a skin layer on the surface thereof. It has hence been difficult to use such slab products for heat insulation.
The technique in which a flame retardant is added in order to impart flame retardancy, as proposed in non-patent document 1, has had a problem that since the flame retardant generally is a low-molecular compound, the flame retardant migrates to the surface of the polyurethane with the lapse of time, resulting in stickiness, etc.
Furthermore, the chlorinated polypropylene glycol proposed in patent document 3 has a problem that the chlorinated polypropylene glycol is poor in thermal stability and storage stability to cause dehydrochlorination with the lapse of time, although superior in that the chlorinated polymer has improved solubility in solvents and satisfactory adhesion to polyolefins.